The First Chelsea Manning Senate Campaign Ad Has Been Released

Former U.S. Army private Chelsea Manning officially confirmed a run for Senate in Maryland on Sunday, while also releasing the first official ad of the new campaign.

Manning — a convicted criminal found guilty of sharing classified government documents with WikiLeaks — got out of prison in 2017 after then-President Barack Obama commuted what was supposed to be a 35-year prison sentence, according to The Hill.

The 30-year-old soldier-turned-activist was born a male with the given name “Bradley,” but now identifies as a female.

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Manning filed to run for Senate last week, then made a statement regarding the candidacy via Twitter.

“(Y)up, we’re running for senate,” Manning tweeted Sunday, along with a YouTube video of the campaign ad.

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Manning filed to run as a Democrat, and is expected to challenge incumbent and fellow Democrat Sen. Bob Cardin — who is up for re-election in November — in the upcoming primary.

Following Manning’s arrest in 2010 for leaking classified documents, the former soldier came out as transgender and became an LGBT activist.

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Not long after being released from prison, Manning registered to vote in North Bethesda, Maryland.

According to Fox News, Manning’s criminal record does not mean the whistleblower can’t run for Senate, though Manning must first file in person with the state’s board of elections by Feb. 27, which he has yet to do.

Manning’s chances of winning are believed to be slim, especially considering Cardin already has $2 million in cash without officially having filed for re-election.

At least one expert has even suggested that Manning’s run is nothing more than a publicity stunt.

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“This is not a run to win. This is a run for statement purposes,” Democrat strategist Lou DiNatale told the Boston Herald. “It’s unlikely she’ll win a Democratic primary. … It’s a sign of the times. It’s another version of a celebrity candidacy.”

Political science professor Stephen Farnsworth — who teaches at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia — said it would be difficult for Manning to defeat Cardin.

“It is extremely unlikely he would lose a primary to Chelsea Manning given her controversial past,” Farnsworth said. “Manning might be more successful if she ran for a lower office first, perhaps in a state legislature.”

If elected, Manning would become the first openly transgender person to serve in Congress.